They oppose database and public records security legislation, too.

HB 2177 passed both chambers of the state Legislature without a single Republican vote in its favor. Some worried about privacy matters and others wondered why it was necessary to make registration even easier.

Republican state Sen. Kim Thatcher said in a statement this month that she was “very disappointed” that the bill passed. She said she voted against it because it “will expose Oregon citizens’ private information” and put victims of sexual assault and stalking at risk.

Supporters of the bill said the state already has safeguards for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and that the new law will not make their private information public.

“During testimony on the bill, a legislator said to me, ‘It’s already so easy to register in Oregon, why would we make it easier?’” Brown recounted as she signed the measure. “My answer is that we have the tools to make voter registration more cost-effective, more secure and more convenient for Oregonians.